broken in

Definition of broken innext
past participle of break in
1
as in invaded
to enter a house or building by force usually with illegal intent the burglars broke in by smashing a window

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in interrupted
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion he rudely broke in to drop the names of several celebrities that he had met

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of broken in Right now, our hearts are broken in a way that words can’t fully express. Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026 Indoors, opt for light traps, sticky traps, and bug catchers that can capture those who have broken in. Alora Bopray, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026 On Friday, March 20, daily temperature records were broken in Downtown Los Angeles, where a temperature of 96 degrees was recorded, breaking a record of 93 from 1997. Sierra Van Der Brug, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026 In a season dominated by conversations about all that is broken in college basketball and college athletics, the tournament reared itself to remind everyone what is right. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026 On Thursday, the weather service reported daily temperature records were broken in several locations including Napa (88), Richmond (86), San Francisco (86), Redwood City (91), San Jose (85) and the Salinas Airport (91). Tim Fang, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026 By the time the plane crashed, in a forest at thirty-five hundred feet, its fuselage had broken in two and a trail of debris ten miles long stretched behind it. Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 West was in a car accident after leaving a recording studio in 2002, which left his jaw broken in three places. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026 Berryman — whose surfboard was also broken in the attack — shared graphic snaps of his scar featuring over 50 stitches and bruising. Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken in
Verb
  • Relations with Angola soon soured and then worsened when Angola’s governor briefly invaded southern Kongo in 1622.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Israel has invaded Lebanon as the war in Iran expands in the region.
    Greg Dixon, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Round Lake appears to have been drawn by a kindergartner who was interrupted halfway through snack time.
    Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The attack was interrupted by an Amazon truck that drove by, the victim said, prompting the suspect and another person to flee on foot.
    Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This was believed to be the first time in baseball history a player has robbed three homers in one game.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Life for a child should be a time of wonder and discovery, but children with cancer are sometimes robbed of those wonders.
    Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The experimental treatment would use CRISPR, a gene-editing tool likened to biological scissors, to make precise cuts in the DNA to turn off a liver gene that prevents lipids — fatty substances including LDL cholesterol and triglycerides — from being cleared from the blood.
    David Cox, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Once reserves are depleted, recipients could see a 28% cut in benefits.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broken in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20in. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.

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